A method and system are provided for routing a call to a called party's landline or wireless communication unit based on the availability of the wireless communication unit. A call placed to a called party's landline communication unit is routed to the called party's wireless communication unit if the wireless communication unit is determined available, otherwise, the call is routed to the called party's landline communication unit. Unlike past attempts to facilitate communication with a called party having wireless and landline communication units, these preferred embodiments operate automatically (without called party intervention) before a call is terminated at the landline communication unit and are responsive to the availability of the called party's wireless communication unit. Further, there preferred embodiments do not rely on complex, predetermined hunting sequences or expensive adjunct customer premises equipment.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method for routing a call to a called party's landline or wireless communication unit, the method comprising: (a) receiving, from a calling party, a destination number assigned to the called party's wireless communication unit; (b) automatically determining an availability of the called party's wireless communication unit; (c) automatically routing the call to the called party's landline communication unit in response to the called party's wireless communication unit being determined unavailable in (b); and (d) automatically routing the call to the called party's wireless communication unit in response to the called party's wireless communication unit being determined available in (b).
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein (b) comprises (b1) sending a location request to a home location register; and (b2) analyzing a response to the location request.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the called party's wireless communication unit is unavailable if inactive and is available if active.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the called party's wireless communication unit is unavailable if busy and is available if not busy.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising playing a message to a calling party before the call is automatically routed, the message alerting the calling party that the call is being processed.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising using an interactive voice response system to disable performance of (b)-(d).
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising using a unified voice-mail system operative to receive messages for both the landline communication unit and the wireless communication unit.
8. A method for routing a call to a called party's landline or wireless communication unit; the method comprising: (a) receiving, from a calling party, a destination number different from destination numbers assigned to the called party's landline and wireless communication units; (b) automatically determining an availability of the called party's wireless communication unit; (c) automatically routing the call to the called party's landline communication unit in response to the called party's wireless communication unit being determined unavailable in (b); and (d) automatically routing the call to the called party's wireless communication unit in response to the called party's wireless communication unit being determined available in (b).
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising automatically routing the call to the called party's landline communication unit in response to a calling party using the called party's wireless communication unit.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein (b) comprises (b1) sending a location request to a home location register; and (b2) analyzing a response to the location request.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the called party's wireless communication unit is unavailable if inactive and is available if active.
12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the called party's wireless communication unit is unavailable if busy and is available if not busy.
13. The method of claim 8 further comprising providing the called party's wireless communication unit with an indication that the call is automatically being routed to the called party's wireless communication unit and is not a direct call to the wireless communication unit.
14. The method of claim 8 further comprising providing the called party's wireless communication unit with a distinctive ring indicating that the call is not a direct call to the wireless communication unit in response to automatically routing the call to the called party's wireless communication unit.
15. The method of claim 8 further comprising playing a message to a calling party before the call is automatically routed, the message alerting the calling party that the call is being processed.
16. The method of claim 8 further comprising using an interactive voice response system to disable performance of (b)-(d).
17. The method of claim 8 further comprising using a unified voice-mail system operative to receive messages for both the landline communication unit and the wireless communication unit.
18. A method for routing a call to a called party's landline or wireless communication unit, the method comprising: (a) with a signal switching point (SSP), receiving, from a calling party, a destination number different from destination numbers assigned to the called party's landline and wireless communication units; (b) with the SSP, suspending the call and launching a query to a service control point (SCP); (c) sending a location request from the SCP to a home location register (HLR) of a mobile switching center (MSC); (d) sending a response from the HLR to the SCP; (e) if the response comprises a routing address of the called party's wireless communication unit and does not indicate that the wireless communication unit is inactive: (e1) sending a forward call command from the SCP to the SSP; (e2) forwarding the call from the SSP to the MSC; and (e3) routing the call through the MSC to the called party's wireless communication unit; and (f) if the response indicates that the called party's wireless communication unit is not registered with the HLR or is inactive: (f1) sending a message from the SCP to the SSP authorizing termination to the called party's landline communication unit; and (f2) routing the call through the SSP to the called party's landline communication unit.
19. The invention of claim 18 , wherein a forward call command is sent from the SCP to the SSP in act (e1) only if the called party's wireless communication unit is not busy.
20. The invention of claim, 18 further comprising: if the called party's wireless communication unit is busy, routing the call to a unified voice-mail system operative to receive messages for both the called party's landline communication unit and the called party's wireless communication unit.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
March 23, 2001
March 16, 2004
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